From Aconite to the Zodiac Killer

The Dictionary of Crime is now the first book I reach for when beginning a new novel. An essential resource, it's packed with explanations, insider information, contemporary and historical slang, as well as some downright bizarre laws and practices. It's funny, fascinating and a damn good read. -- M. W. Craven, winner of the 2019 Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year for The Puppet Show

US gang slang, UK prison slang, spy jargon, acronyms and more - From Aconite to Zodiac Killer: A Dictionary of Crime was perhaps conceived as a useful reference volume where facts could be checked with speed and efficiency (which they can), but I found myself rolling around in it for hours, like a gangster's moll on a bed full of money. Sheer delight!
Catriona McPherson

-- Catriona McPherson
A fascinating compendium of crime facts which should be on the shelves of every crime writer - and every crime reader. -- Simon Brett
This is a dangerous book in so many ways. It is chock full of information on ways of killing people, from undetectable poisons (amongst them the aconite of the title) to various types of guns (the Glock 17 9mm pistol comes highly recommended). It contains riveting accounts of notorious murderers across continents and across the ages. It is crammed with fascinating details of slang, thieves' cant, and gang language. It has precise particulars of police procedures. It is, in fact, the perfect gift for any true crime enthusiast, and an indispensable guide for all crime fiction writers. -- S. W. Williams, author of Small Deaths and How to Write Crime Fiction

Praise for the author:
Sparklingly funny and painfully sharp throughout.

* The Times *

Praise for the author:
A charming turn of phrase that gets you giggling out loud.

* Best *

Praise for the author:
Great fun and easy to read.

* B magazine *

Praise for the author:
You can guarantee that Amanda Lees's books, like her own life, will never be boring.

* Hello *

Praise for the author:
The author succeeds in engaging the reader, both through some page-turning suspense but also via a lightness of touch in the writing.

* Lovereading *
Where was this book when I started writing? From Aconite to the Zodiac Killer is the essential companion for any serious reader or writer of crime. -- Leye Adenle, author of When Trouble Sleeps
A remarkable achievement. At once elucidating and compelling, indispensable and unputdownable. It reads like a page-turning thriller. Whether a crime writer who needs to distinguish a blood agent from a bum beef or a reader with an interest in queer coal makers, this lexicon will keep you hooked, and leave you sublimely informed. -- Gary Donnelly, author of Killing in Your Name and Blood Will Be Born
'Fascinating, insightful and taking up permanent residency on my desk. Amanda Lees' Dictionary of Crime is my new bible!' -- Chris Whitaker, award-winning author of Tall Oaks, All The Wicked Girls and We Begin at the End
'What a little gem this is ­- such a great idea and a valuable resource for writers. I found myself dipping into it at intervals and marvelling at the extent of the research that's gone into it, as well as chuckling over some of the more unusual entries. My personal favourites? BINGO seat, nicker, moll buzzer and lully-prigger. Wouldn't have had a clue what they meant . . . but I'm determined to work them in somewhere in a future novel!' -- G. J. Minett, author of The Syndicate
'A fascinating journey through the dark side of the human psyche. Highly recommended for anyone interested in criminals and crime' -- Patrick Redmond, bestselling author of The Wishing Game
[J]am-packed with all manner of information . . . a must buy . . . [a] brilliant resource and one that every writer and reader should have on their shelves. -- James Pierson, writer, journalist and book blogger
A really good idea . . . executed neatly to come up with the perfect gift for crime lovers. -- MAT COWARD * Morning Star *